Spartans roll to 8-2, will finish season in Prime Time

Week 12 is upon college football, and for the Spartans of San Jose State the expectations of the outside world have been long exceeded.

But for those within the program or following closely, resting on laurels should be the furthest thing from their minds. In fact, now is when the heavy lifting begins.

Fresh off their most lopsided win in more than a decade, a 47-7 road pummeling of New Mexico St. that saw the Spartans jump out to a 37-0 halftime lead and only surrender a score when their scrubs were in mop-up duty, San Jose St. will spend the next two weeks introducing themselves to the nation on the airwaves of ESPN2.

A few weeks back “The Deuce” picked up this weekend’s nonconference showdown with 6-4 Brigham Young, with a 7:30 pm kickoff at Spartan Stadium. It was announced this week that the Spartans’ final regular season game against AP No. 19 Louisiana Tech, also slated for a 7:30 pm kickoff at Spartan Stadium, will again be carried by ESPN2.

It’s a validation of sorts for the Spartans, who opened the season with a narrow 20-17 loss to highly regarded Stanford in a game that San Jose St. dominated for stretches and should have been able to pull out. Since then, their only hiccup has been their loss to 8-2 Utah St, and as they carry their own 8-2 record into week 12, the longtime WAC doormat has a chance to make a statement to any potential bowl suitors.

Making that statement will be a lot easier than, well … stated.

While the BYU football team doesn’t sport as impressive a record as the Spartans, the Cougars have been faced with much stiffer competition this season in their first year as an FBS-Independent program after having left the Mountain West.

They opened 2012 by welcoming Mike Leach back to the coaching ranks with a 30-6 drubbing of Washington St. Since then, the Cougars have suffered losses at the hands of in-state rival Utah and then-No. 24 Boise St; they were also defeated by Oregon St. and Notre Dame, currently ranked 15th and 3rd, respectively. Only Oregon St. defeated BYU soundly (42-24), as the other three losses were by a combined seven points.

However, since Week 1, their only win of note has been against ACC member Georgia Tech.

Regardless, the Spartans have a potentially daunting task ahead of them. It’s hard to make the case that BYU poses a tougher challenge than the one San Jose St. faced in Stanford; on the other hand, the Cougars did pull out a 6-3 victory over the same Utah St. squad that waxed the Spartans on their own field in their homecoming game.

The biggest challenge for Mike MacIntyre and his players could simply be rising to the occasion against the best opponent they have faced in five weeks. Since losing to Utah St, the Spartans have feasted on a paltry list of cupcakes. Their competition in October and early November has paled in comparison to the slate they played leading up the Aggies (Colorado St, San Diego St, Navy).

Against UTSA, Texas St, Idaho and New Mexico St, mistakes were easily forgiven. Every sack surrendered, every interception thrown, every fumble lost was far easier to atone for. Opponents’ mistakes were easier to capitalize on, and usually the Spartans could do so with favorable field position.

Now they head into a contest with a bigger, stronger, and much more battle-tested opponent, one that is sure to test the stamina and physicality of the Spartans.

While not an offensive juggernaut, BYU averages 304 pounds across their starting offensive line, compared to an average of 268 pounds amongst the SJSU defensive lineman they are most likely to face. The Cougars are led by quarterback Riley Nelson, a Utah St. transfer who last year unseated one-time high school mega-recruit Jake Heaps (now at Kansas) for the starting job.

Nelson’s 12/11 touchdown to interception ratio isn’t all that sexy, and neither is his 209.5 passing yards per game. But the senior has in the past shown an ability to rise to the occasion late in games, and can make plays with his feet. While he sports a 7-1 home record at LaVell Edwards Stadium (including last year’s 29-16 win over the Spartans), his struggles tend to take place on the road.

Riley Nelson looks to make it two straight over the Spartans

The offensive stats indicate that BYU is more “cloud of dust” than “aerial assault,” as they have three players with over 300 yards rushing on the season. Then again, one is Nelson, and the other his backup, Taysom Hill. Their leading rusher is Jamaal Williams, and his 5.3 yards per carry and 10 touchdowns suggest he could present problems for the Spartans.

The real story of this game will be told when the Spartans have the ball, as both teams’ strengths square off directly against the other’s. When the Spartans line up their 36th-ranked offense (FBS), it will be across from the fourth-ranked BYU defense.

Breaking it down further, BYU allows the 10th fewest passing yards in the country, while San Jose State throws for the ninth most. It’s in the running game that the Cougars’ defense will pose the greatest challenge, as they allow the fourth fewest rushing yards per game at 92.3.

While senior running back De’ Leon Eskridge is having a decent year with 729 yards and seven touchdowns, his production only amounts to 72 yards per game and the rest San Jose State’s backs don’t come close to his output. Compounding things is the lingering injury that sidelined sophomore playmaker Tyler Ervin likely until a possible bowl game. On top of that, third string senior running back David Freeman was suspended for the rest of the season this week, effectively ending his college career.

It’s going to be up to Eskridge to carry the load and his linemen to make that possible throughout the game, because without any semblance of a rushing attack for the Cougars to respect, the floodgates are going to open on quarterback David Fales. The last time an opponent disregarded the Spartans’ run game, Utah St. rolled up Fales to the tune of 13 sacks.

The good news for San Jose St. is they’ll be throwing against a depleted BYU secondary. Starting safety Joe Sampson was suspended from the team and subsequently withdrew from school following an altercation at a Provo-area restaurant Halloween night involving several BYU players (apparently even the Mormon university has their share of off-field incidents). Backup safety Mike Hague is out for the season, meaning SJSU’s four and five-wide receiver sets will bring the inexperience off BYU’s bench and hopefully playing into their favor.

The key to this game, in which BYU opened as a seven-point favorite and is now mostly down to being favored by three, lies where it always does in football: the line of scrimmage. If the Spartans can establish a reasonable running threat—one that BYU has to respect on first down and in short yardage situations—San Jose St. should be free to pick apart their secondary and open things up downfield.

On paper at least, it appears that their receiving corps of Jabari Carr, Noel Grigsby and Chandler Jones should be able to find consistent openings in the defense. Tight end Ryan Otten should be able to exploit BYU’s lack of speed across the middle and downfield. Keeping Fales upright and out of harm’s way, of course, is the only way that can happen.

If the Spartans can keep a mediocre offense in check and maintain the pace with which they’ve operated theirs throughout 2012, they’ll pull out a win that on a national scale will look rather impressive for their program. The one upside to being a historically downtrodden football team is that wins over any team that has ever experienced sustained success stand out on a larger scale than they should. SJSU’s win over Navy last year is a prime example.

A win over BYU would put the Spartans at 9-2, in front of a national audience no less, and position the team for its most high-profile bowl appearance and payout in school history. With a loss, the team is still 8-3 with a chance at upsetting a ranked opponent the following week.

But we’d all rather flood the Keyes Club post-game celebrating a win over the poor-man’s Notre Dame and looking for double-digit wins to end the regular season.

About the Author

"Spartan Sports Guy (birth name: Dray Miller) graduated in 2003 from San Jose State with a degree in journalism and an unwaivering commitment to his school's football program through thick and very thin. In addition to covering the Spartans for BASG he also maintains a blog for hardcore SJSU fans that can be found here.

Let me tell you son how the state college system works..ah,I'm warming up now!.
Mo,who was picked to lead Eastbay?..in Hayward a city thats 70% latino?....well son,of 16 -19 finalists the school interviewed ? Not one was Latino. Not one.
That's because that school didn't want to be associated with them messicans at the bottom of the hill. Heck,any local business or politician there will tell you that.
NO,MO was hired because he fits the the system profile..status quo conservatives who mace kids that protest for one example. Like all the CSU and UC presidents they take their college as a fiedom...THEY get raises,THEY get perks,THEY have lavish partys on your dime.ALL the cost is passed on to the students. Our state gov does almost nothing to stop them.
Mo has no interest in the history of San Jose. Money,money money..and none for the students.
Thats how.

One more..SJ's head coach is not a Mo hire is he?..and the scholarships were returning new AD or not.
But enjoy Mo as he circles the wagons and builds the moat. At Hayward state I read he banned city people from parking near the school or walking alone or with their dogs after school hours-weekends too! Mo is such a sweetheart huh?

In regards to Bleymaier, he was fired by Boise State after the school was reprimanded by the NCAA for "secondary violations" which amounted to things like "coaches arranging for incoming players to get cheap transportation, meals and housing during voluntary summer workouts." For the lack of institutional control under his watch the firing was acceptable. But if you think he doesn't deserve to ever work again because those infractions were so egregious, then your high-brow morals are simply too steep for sports fanhood, period.
As for the president, I can't honestly speak to his time in Hayward. I am sure if your claims are true he won't last long in San Jose but so far I haven't heard anything remotely near what you are describing about him. Then again, I am not on campus.
And no, I am not a fawning donor. Are you a self-righteous loner who for some reason who takes his frustrations out on sports blogs?

You must be a fawning donor of some sort. I know that the CSY system is a bunch of wannabe leaders of IBM or a country who take the education system for a financial ride. Do you read the papers much?..I doubt you do.

LOL...the man could care less about the latino population in San Jose. As prez of Cal State eastbay he did all he could to isolate that school from all them brown blue collars who live in the host city. Local politicians and civic groups were ignored.
Mo..is for Mo. HE HIRED A CHEATING AD..who had just been fired weeks earlier at Boise state. Yeah,Mo is a man of integrity!..lol.

Stan, past your first two lines I am not sure what you are getting at. Would you care to explain your attack on Mohammad Qayoumi. All I know about the guy is he has been more upbeat and supportive of Spartan athletics than any other president in my time as a student or alumni, aside from Don Kassing. If supporting the athletic department and aiming to be the premier university in the CSU system are part of his path to personal success is that a problem?
If you're going to toss out random character attacks the least you could do is provide some examples.

San Jose State is a nice campus. Too bad some previous coaches cheated and set the school back. Now,they have their scholarships back, a former cheater AD,and a campus president who couldn't care less about the San Jose community or citizenry, just as long as his feifdom should rule all..and rake in the bucks. His MO to personal success-right mo?.

Lets see-you ask out of concern? Or fear of learning the truth about local celebs?
Now,when I read fake concern like yours obviously is and the wrong characterization as more not answer my posts truth,and I figure -shill.
I gave you" Mo" facts about him and how the college system works. Heck ,if you doubt me-ask any CSU or UC professor. Ask the best.
eh,I'm not angry...fed up maybe-lol. I know the constraints the Steve's and the Lowell's and rest have..so I fill the other 30% of the wisdom.
You younger people need to learn why the pitfalls are there for you by the status quo..or status Mo..hee..

Are you a San Jose state apologist who attacks the truth teller? Because you pretty much admit you didn't know squat..then for some reason confuses truth with frustration.
I can tell you though -president Stan of SJ state would NEVER after the school just came off of sever sanctions for recruiting,would NEVER then hire a convicted cheat'en AD.
I also would have a huge interaction with the general population of San Jose State-happily.
Is that loner talk to you?

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Giants, 49ers, Warriors, Raiders, Athletics, Sharks, Stanford or Cal – BASG has it covered. Bay Area Sports Guy is the sports guy for all sports guys (and girls), writing about Bay Area sports and the local sports media since 2008. BASG is the largest independent blog covering Bay Area sports, and took People’s Choice in CBS San Francisco’s "Most Valuable Blogger Awards 2011."